Boy Behind the Glass
by redfox and megane-chan
Summary: Zim is an alien, caught by humans and left stranded on Earth by his fellow Irken. The only things keeping him alive are the machines and Dib, a neglected and friendless Earth boy. AU, not ZADR
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to hell

Boy behind the glass  
  
By: Redfox and Megane-chan [The name's Redfox… just… Redfox.]  
  
"One day, you'll be sitting in your house, feeling all safe and secure, and, then, you'll look over, and I'll be there -- doin' STUFF!"  
  
Disclaimer: Jhonen's a lucky guy… VERY lucky…   
  
Redfox: This is not, I REPEAT, NOT a ZADR… *shudders involuntarily* Review…   
  
**  
  
The boy was back again; he always came by day-by-day after all. He'd stand there, his pale face pressed against the glass smiling at the Irken. At times he'd be frowning but still nothing changed, he still had an enthusiastic shine in his eyes.  
  
This started when he was merely four, a cute small thing with large glasses and an unproportioned head.  
  
Dib would try to make conversation but Zim never seemed to humor him. Not that he didn't wish to speak, Oh by Irk, no one knew how he longed to talk and yell and command things again but the green liquid filling his container muffled any noise he was likely to make. The brilliant Professor Membrane thought of it to keep any unwanted attention away from the alien ward in Membrane Laboratories. To think it actually worked.  
  
The lack of conversation on the Irken Invader's part never weakened the will of the young boy. He remained steadfast to his goal of befriending the lonely alien, coming everyday and sitting at the foot of the glass container, telling Zim about anything and everything possible.   
  
Strangely, this was more than welcomed by Zim who had nothing but the wall in front of him to look at for nearly seven years. He just had to adjust to the fact that he was now the one listening instead of barking orders, or in Dib's case, talking. [Let's just say his listening skills have improved.]  
  
As Dib would walk into the solitary room, he'd usually look around and complain about how bare and frighteningly white the walls were. Zim learned to nod in agreement and mouth words Dib would lip-read and manage to understand. The human would say that he'd bring a poster or something to make the room a bit more interesting, though both knew that he wasn't allowed to bring in anything into the area since his accident with his dad's experimental toaster and a rubber piggy.   
  
Then Dib would plop down directly in front of the little green alien and he'd begin to talk.   
  
He'd speak about his days at school [foolishly spelled as Skool] where he was constantly picked on by his peers and where his teacher hissed like a piece of metal being thrown into the sun. He'd tell Zim about his family, how his sister, Gaz, treats him as if he was an annoying parasite, plaguing her existence and how his father, the same man responsible for Zim's imprisonment, never spends time with them.   
  
He spoke of outer space and how he'd love to go up there and touch a star, he loved stars.  
  
Day-by-day Zim waited and day-by-day Dib came, sad, happy, wounded or otherwise. Today was one of his sad days.  
  
"Hey Zim." He greeted. His voice was hoarse and his clothes were torn with only a hint of blood on them, "Rough day."  
  
Zim nodded solemnly, a sadistic smile nearly reaching his lips.  
  
"I can see." He mouthed to the boy, "Bullies?"  
  
The human smiled sadly, "Yeah." A sigh, "I can't seem to outrun them… and Gaz doesn't help. She tells them lies that get them mad at me and they well… the usual."  
  
He trailed off and looked at the ground. After a moment of silence he sighed again and sat down on his usual spot in front of Zim.  
  
"I don't have homework today." Dib said finally looking up at the glass container, "I can stay till nine…"  
  
Zim nodded knowingly, "I'd like that."  
  
**  
  
Redfox: Like I said, Review. ^_^ 


	2. Chapter 2: For our sakes

Boy behind the glass  
  
By: Redfox and Megane-chan [… Redfox. Try that.]  
  
"I'm not a chubby cry baby… I'm not a chubby cry baby…"  
  
Disclaimer: Learn the facts kiddies, I DO NOT OWN… INVADER ZIM.   
  
**  
  
"Then Torque swung his fist towards my gut!" Dib swung his fist towards his own stomach, stopping before he could cause himself pain, "But I was too fast for him and I jumped out of the way."  
  
Dib jumped around, relaying the events of the day to his alien friend. He twisted and turned when he told Zim about the chase; His facial features contorted as he told of how his shock turned to pain when he was ambushed and he gestured to where he was hit and bruised. Zim watched his all throughout, nodding when he approved and wincing when Dib put his pains into detail.   
  
"Suddenly, one of Torque's friends grabbed me from behind!" Zim place an anxious look on his face as Dib strangled himself, "I fought and managed to kick one in the shins, but someone's knee connected with my back before I could run off and-"  
  
"Son!"  
  
Human and alien turned their gazes towards the door. Both pairs of eyes fell on the renowned Professor Membrane.  
  
"Oh. Hi dad." Dib greeted, any signs of enthusiasm he showed when telling his story fading completely, "Um… Where's Gaz?" He looked at his watch, "And it's not nine yet."  
  
"Your sister went home son," The Professor stepped into the room, not noticing the heated glare Zim was sending him, "And I think YOU should too. You've been spending too much of your time HERE." He gestured towards Zim whose glare increased at the suggestion. Dib had been his only companion and as much as he hated to admit it, the human was the only one who kept him sane in that god-forsaken room. If Dib decided to follow his father's advice…"It's time to get out and stop being crazy!"  
  
Luckily for Zim, Dib wasn't one to follow his father's every whim, "But dad, It's not nine yet! You said I could stay 'till nine."  
  
"Not today! You should go home and do your HOMEWORK… or something!"  
  
"I don't HAVE homework today."  
  
"Well then, spend your time around the other parts of the lab. Why not try the new ward, The Ward of Infectious Deadly Deceases!" The Professor's hand shot up, air hissing at the speed, as his index finger subtly suggested his enthusiasm about the new ward.   
  
Dib stared at his father doubtfully, "But I don't wanna go there…"  
  
"You should concentrate more on REAL SCIENCE," Membrane continued, choosing to ignore his son who gave him a flat look, "And you can do that by leaving the alien ward alone. No one comes here anymore! Aliens are boring and out of place in society! Now…" He fixed his goggles, "I need to get back to work! The world needs my help!"  
  
And with those final exclamation points, Zim watched the professor leave the room, the pneumatic hiss of the doors spitting at a dejected looking Earth boy. All throughout the alien had kept quiet, mostly due to the fact that he wouldn't be heard even if he tried, but partially because he was doing something he hadn't done in years.   
  
As the father and son duo spoke, he was silently plotting. A spark ignited in his little green head when he realized the professor seemed too persistent that his son do something other than spend time with him, Zim. In the short time he spent gathering information on Earth it was drilled into his Irken mind that when a human is persistent, that meant they wanted or were up to something.  
  
Zim nearly laughed at the thought of his mind unraveling such a great and mildly complicated plot but he held his tongue since Dib called to him, "Zim, Did you notice? My Dad's getting WEIRD."  
  
The alien tapped the front of the glass container, motioning Dib closer. Dib stepped forward; close enough to have to look up at the alien floating in the green liquid.  
  
"What?"  
  
'Your parental unit… father.' Zim mouthed slowly, 'He seems too… trying.'  
  
"Trying?"  
  
'Yes, TRYING!!! Do not question ZIM!!!' Dib merely arched an eyebrow at the sudden out burst. He was used to it. The Invader narrowed his bug red eyes and scowled at the door, 'He is plotting against Zim and it is obvious he does not wish the memory of my greatness in your brains.'  
  
Dib pulled a face, "You're over reacting. I think being stuck here did this to you. My dad's ALWAYS been like that."  
  
'Listen human! Your father is not precisely the best of his kind but he, like other of your filthy human parental units, wish for something from their "children".' Two of the alien's fingers motioned the quote un-quote as he used the word children, 'You are the only male?'  
  
"Yeah. So? That doesn't prove anything."  
  
'You are his successor, and from what I have gathered in my years of living on this rock, that is important. Heritage or what-not.' Zim waved his hand dismissing the thought, 'And I do not believe that you are what he wishes of his... hair.'  
  
"It's 'H-E-I-R' Zim. Not HAIR." Dib nearly snapped. His mood had gone from being bewildered at his father's actions to a small feeling of spite towards the small green alien. An unbelieving look crossed his face when he turned his head up to look at the Irken, his father may not be the greatest father but he was a relative; he cared about Dib and Dib was supposed to care for him too. Blood was supposedly thicker than water right?  
  
  
  
"Just leave it. I'm leaving. My head is hurting and Gaz probably needs me at home."   
  
What a big fat lie, he scolded himself; Gaz never needed me. He turned solemnly to leave, "Bye."  
  
Zim slammed against the glass and pressed his face till his skin seemed to merge with it, 'Watch him Dib beast.' The Professors son walked out the door, 'For yours and my sake.'   
  
**  
  
Redfox: Dude... o_o That sucked. _ It came out all wrong and stuff.... whatever. If you wanna review, go ahead. If you don't, well, I wouldn't know would I?? 


	3. Chapter 3: An alien

Boy Behind the Glass  
By: Redfox and Megane-chan [What starts with an 'R' and ends with a 'Fox'??]  
  
"Don't tell me how to do my job and I won't tell you how to save on long distance phone calls."  
  
Disclaimer: Nadda. Uh-uh. Nope. We ain't got it here.  
  
Redfox: There is a difference between HAIR and HEIR when it comes to lip-reading. When saying "hair" the lips take on a more rounded look when it hits the "A", "Heir", on the other hand, is more of a "flat" look as the mouth spreads when saying the "E"... geez. Never mind. I sound too defensive. Get on with the story!!!!

"Gaz! Are you home?"  
  
The sound of beeps and mechanical lasers firing were all he needed to answer his question.  
  
He walked into the den and sat down next to Gaz on the sofa. Dib watched as she busily tapped away on her Nintendo's controls. A poorly constructed video game man on the screen flailed his arms in an attempt to destroy flaming ears of corn in accordance to his sister's button pressing.  
  
His glasses arched along with his eyebrows, "What's this? I don't remember this game."  
  
Gaz's squinted eyes never left the screen as she answered, "It's called 'Corn Cobbler' DIB and your distracting me from it." Dib observed a heap of crumpled paper on the floor in front of his little sister. She might have been trying to draw something; "So if you don't shut up I'll personally rip your lungs out and feed them to my vultures."  
  
"But... you don't own vultures."  
  
A growl was all that was needed to shut the boy up.  
  
A brief disdainful look was shot at his sister before Dib leaned back into the couch. His bespectacled eyes lazily took in their surroundings, although Dib knew it wasn't necessary. He knew every nook and cranny of his up-to-date lavender house.   
  
His family had lived in that house for as long as he could remember and the only things that had changed were some of the furniture and him.  
  
Dib chuckled as he reminisced but a small, irritated noise from Gaz warned him to keep it soft. Silently, he wondered if he would be able to do some work if he went to his room.  
  
"Nah," He decided, "Not tonight."  
  
His sisters left eye shot up and looked at him angrily, her head and shoulders were shacking from the powerful force she was trying to hold back, "What was THAT?"  
  
"Nothing." Came out quickly, His only defense against one such as his sister.  
  
The purple haired girl growled, this time more menacingly. Her brother caught the drift. She wanted him OUT. NOW.  
  
He hopped off the couch instantly, cursing his habit of thinking out loud.   
  
Dib made his way past the Membrane shaped lamps and a bathroom door, towards the kitchen, his footsteps barely registering on the soft, carpeted floor. He didn't know what he would do when he got there, only what would happen if he didn't; and he certainly didn't want THAT to happen. Not again at least.  
  
The moment her arrived at the tiled room he headed for the refrigerator. The cold air hissed and seemed to spit at his face as it opened to reveal an array of different instant meals and cold drinks. His hair flapped softly in its breath but Dib hardly noticed.  
  
His thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Zim early that evening.  
  
_"Your parental unit… father. He seems too… trying."  
_  
"Trying?" Dib mumbled to himself, "Trying too hard? Was Membrane trying too hard? But why??"  
  
The large headed boy thought and thought but he couldn't think of anything. He went deeper into the conversation.  
  
_"He is plotting against Zim and it is obvious he does not wish the memory of my greatness in your brains."  
_  
Dib pulled a regular poop out of the fridge and closed the door. He walked over to the phone on the wall and pulled the notepad from beside it. Walking with it and a pencil in hand, he settled into a nearby chair and popped the tab off the can.  
  
Then he began to draw.  
  
Slowly he etched the face of a boy on it. Discontent, he tore the page off and threw it neatly into the trash.  
  
WAS Zim just paranoid? Or did he really see something in his father's weird actions. Not a soul on Earth ever matched the Intellectual Quotient of the great Professor Membrane, so who was Zim to contradict his actions?  
  
An alien. That's who Dib.  
  
_"Listen human! Your father is not precisely the best of his kind but he, like other of your filthy human parental units, wish for something from their 'children'."  
_  
"Dad hopes..."   
  
_"You are the only male?"  
_  
"…For what?"  
  
_"Yeah. So? That doesn't prove anything."  
_  
Or does it Dib?  
  
_"You are his successor, and from what I have gathered in my years of living on this rock, that is important. Heritage or what-not."  
_  
He shook his head and took another sip from the soda can. What was Zim getting at and why was he so disturbed by it? He and the alien have had many "conversations" before, none were as disturbing as today's but still quite disturbing nonetheless.  
  
Dib scribbled a picture of a man. He was tall and gangly with a pair of glasses on his face. Dib left the head bald and the man with only a shirt and lines to indicate his pants.   
  
The man in the picture looked familiar somehow… wait. Dib flipped the pencil over and erased the man's shirt down past his crotch before replacing the area with an elongated version of a shirt.   
  
Gloves, the man needed gloves. Dib drew boots and the t-shirt became something of a coat, buttons down the left side, covering the neck and half the face. All Dib needed to add was the singular stalk of hair he had inherited, not from the man in the drawing but the actual being that looked just like it.   
  
_"What, in the name of insanity are you doing THIS time son?"  
  
The room was dim but Dib could see that the figure that stood before him was, indeed, his father. The man had just actually entered his room to… talk to him maybe? Persuade him to science as usual?  
  
Dib choose to bet on the latter.  
  
"Son?" Came the inquiring tone.  
  
Actually, he was working on a radio transmitter; one that could communicate with creature from the farthest reaches of space. He was even hoping to be able to contact Zim's race. The idea sent Zim into bouts of information leaking happiness about his race and its great leaders, The Tallests Red and Purple last time Zim checked.  
  
Dib didn't wait for his father to call him a third time. He had waited months to get the approval for his radio, personal approval from his father, "It's a radio transmitter dad. So I can communicate with other aliens! See, I built this thing…"  
  
Professor Membrane made disapproving noises, "Now son… remember that talk we had last time you tried to contact aliens."  
  
"I was five dad. I don't remember."  
  
"Yes well," The professor knelt down to look his son in the eye, "I've told you once and I'll tell you once more, you should give up this "paranormal investigator" dream of yours. Be a REAL man and do me proud by following my footsteps. I followed my dad's wishes, and he followed his dad's wishes and so on. It's in our blood son!"  
  
"…But dad-"  
  
"No buts. I want you to become a REAL son to me. Not that boy who chases after big foot or watches badly produced, over rated shows like 'Mysterious Mysteries.'"  
  
_**But I AM your real son.**  
  
It was had been about a month or two when Membrane had chided his beliefs and his way of life. Only a month or two when Membrane spoke to him and finished his speech, leaving Dib in the semi-darkness with his nearly completed radio.   
  
He finished it the next day but didn't have the heart to try it so he left it buried under his bed with numerous things he refused to even think about. It wasn't even given a chance for a test run.   
  
Dib stared at the drawing he had made. The man stared back at him indifferently though drawn shimmering goggle glasses. He ripped it off and threw it across the room and into the garbage can.  
  
The recent memory brought back to him made him think. Somehow there was something he couldn't decipher in that conversation with his father. Something about the apprehension in the man's voice and the way he chose to come in and worry for the benefit of his blood line.  
  
_"Be a REAL man and do me proud by following my footsteps. I followed my dad's wishes, and he followed his dad's wishes and so on."  
_  
There was something weird about it; his father's face. It was contorted as he spoke to him, telling him desperately to give up his useless dream and to come home, come back to science.  
  
_"I want you to become a REAL son to me"  
_  
"REAL SON?" Dib couldn't believe it. Zim had told him something he had doubted with all his heart but further analysis of his past conversations with Membrane proved what the alien had claimed earlier that day in the Alien Ward of Membrane Labratorires.  
  
_"You are his successor, and from what I have gathered in my years of living on this rock, that is important."  
_  
It was wasn't it? And Membrane was a slight male chauvinist. No matter how much he loved [**did he love her?**] Gaz he preferred that Dib would take over for him, he had shoved the poor girl into a world of video games and insisted, despite the obvious strength she held, that Dib follow her to the mall "for protection."  
  
But again the voice plagued his mind, shouting doubting words at him.  
  
_Who is he DIB? Who is this Zim that he can tell you such things?  
  
Zim?  
  
Who is he huh? Can you answer that?  
  
Zim's an alien.  
  
So what? That doesn't mean ANYTHING. What he is alone describes that he can't possibly know anything, ALIEN.  
  
But he's an alien… and a friend.  
_  
The boy shook his head in confusion. If his own people didn't understand him what change did an alien have?   
  
_…wait._   
  
_Who is he?_ His mind asked again. This time he had an answer for it. The thought of his own people, of their inability to understand him, had given him his answer.   
  
"An alien..." The pale boy breathed. His eyebrows knitted together in concentration as he drank the final drops from his poop soda. He looked at the empty shell and threw it into the wastebasket easily.   
  
Two points, he told himself sardonically, If only this puzzle were as easy. So what if Zim understood him more, could he trust Zim's twisted sense of judgment? Wasn't he the one who was locked up in a tube of green, soundless goop?  
  
"Who's an alien DIB?" Dib yelped in surprise as his sister, looking over his shoulder and at his drawing broke the silence, "Did dad finally tell you?"  
  
The scolding left his lips immediately, "Tell me what?"Redfox: Wait! Watch out for the cliff. You might fall without having a change to review my fic!!!

Ok... so that kinda sucked... a bit... a lot. Whatever! I finished it!!! brings out confetti REVIEW please, unless you've gotten bored of the story already in which case you can flame me!!! I'm too happy to care.


	4. Chapter 4: To intrude and escape

Boy behind the glass

By: redfox and megane-chan

"I think it's just fair to warn you, I have no idea what I'm doing."  
  
Disclaimers: Ehe… sowie Maran Zelde, didn't mean to criticize your criticism. scratches head Ehehehe. Just like to keep my facts straight, is all. Now, ONWARDS TO THE FIC!!!  
  
--  
  
Dib clutched his laptop to his chest and pressed his back against the cold hard concrete. He felt his way across it, his footsteps barely echoing on the paved ground. His mind was racing and his heart was pounding as he reached the end where the wall and the gate met.  
  
Membrane Laboratories looked like a behemoth bathed in darkness; a creepy sight to behold at that time in night.  
  
This evening was particularly dark as the clouds were covering the moon; to Dib this usually meant an uneventful evening; his only subjects— the stars and the moon— would be covered and he wouldn't be able to take any notes nor to be able to observe any anomalies plaguing the evening. Despite all these reasons, tonight he was thankful for it.  
  
The darkness helped cover his ebony hair as he peeked around the wall. His forehead emitted an unnatural white glow due to the small amount of light but other than that he was well hidden.  
  
Dib spotted four guards patrolling the front of Membrane Laboratories. He knew from experience that there would be another four around back and two per side of the rest of the perimeter. A solitary guard would be at the front gate to operate the mechanics of the gateway and to watch out for any suspicious characters, situated just at the other side of where he himself stood.  
  
The real problem was getting around them.  
  
In his head Dib cursed, his plan was fool-proof, and up to the escape he knew what to do unless something went horribly wrong as what usually happens when things involve him and his large head, he understood what would happen and where to go but he had completely ignored the problem of the guards.  
  
Dib quietly made his way to the other side of the gate, taking great care to do it only when the guards wouldn't be able to see him. He thanked his lucky stars that he reached the other side undetected, hiding behind the door to the small room  
  
Oddly enough, there was a tiny socket at the bottom of the booth where he was able to attach some wires from his laptop to the mechanics of the door. His fingers were blurred as he typed at his lap top feverishly, glad that he had installed his own patented well, almost key board mufflers that kept the noise, he would have likely made, down. He heard the satisfying click of the metal door, hoping against all those forces that picked on him that the guard hadn't heard him.  
  
Whatever god's out there must've had a sense of humor that evening as that was what had exactly happened. The pale boy was lucky the guard had a radio on at that moment. He cautiously opened the door a crack and typed in a few sequences on his computer; the screen blipped softly as the words, "Initiate Knock out Device? Y/N?" came out.  
  
He pressed, Y on the keyboard and watched as a dart like object shot out and hit the guard on the neck. The man fell noiselessly to the ground and Dib dove to grab the metal chair before it fell and made enough noise to alert the other guards. That would be one chain of reactions he wouldn't want to start.  
  
Dib pulled the chair upward to sit on it by the guard's computer. He barely noticed his hacking, being so accustomed to it, that his thoughts began to drift back to Gaz and what she had told him earlier that evening.  
  
_"Who's an alien DIB?" He yelped in surprise as his sister, looking over his shoulder and at his drawing broke the silence, "Did dad finally tell you?"  
  
The scolding left his lips immediately, "Tell me what?"  
  
"About that alien in dad's lab. That green thing that doesn't talk," She scowled. Gaz had a strange hate for almost everything but video games, the thought of Zim, however, always evoked a different type of hate all together, "They're supposed to get rid of him soon because the government wanted him for testing and all that."  
  
He felt stunned and horrified, his only friend, sold to the government where he would most likely be killed after a series of disgusting tests. He couldn't deny that he himself wanted to perform such tests as a boy. He had that odd, inane bloodlust to see what exactly was under that green skin and those ruby red eyes… that is, until he felt that Zim would be more useful to him as a friend rather than an enemy or test subject.  
  
His purple haired sister took a soda from the fridge as his shock began to die down and give way to other feelings, "Yeah, dad mentioned a date. Sometime this week…" She walked off without a care, probably to get back to her game as her brother began to bore her already.  
  
Dib gathered his laptop and announced he'd go for a walk, a ruse that would have failed on the most oblivious idiot on the planet but his sister had merely growled at him, willing him to leave already.  
  
So Dib left and took off down the street with his laptop under his arm, towards Membrane Laboratories. His mind worked at its full potential to come up with a plan to get the alien out…_  
  
The boy knew it was stupid to try and break in at this time of the night. The security system had been upped recently and the glaringly obvious fact that waltzing inside in broad daylight would have been far easier crossed his mind earlier that evening he only replied to himself that the chances of him getting in would also be a 50-50 chance as most of the time the guards didn't recognize him as the son of the great Professor Membrane. The other problem would have been the time they would transport Zim, Dib didn't know so naturally acting immediately would be better than waiting and taking a risk of loosing the alien without having done anything.  
  
Dib shook himself to concentrate on breaking his father's security code. It was an almost impossible feat and he felt he would have stayed there all night trying to figure it out. By then the lack of activity from the napping guard would have roused suspicion and he would have been caught, sent to jail as his father seemed to feel no mercy towards his kids.  
  
It was just his luck that he noticed the piece of paper sticking out from under the bag of donuts by the computer.  
  
"What's this?" He picked up and bit into a jelly donut as he read the paper. On it, written in a messy scrawl was the password to the security system, a dubious Mysonisaninsaneperson. It could have been a new security precaution, for those who wanted easy access into the laboratory. All they had to do was look around a bit to find the paper and use it, triggering another alarm. Ah, well. It was worth a shot.  
  
Dib licked his fingers clean of the white sugary power and the jelly substance that fell off the pastry, typing in the password and rewarded with a smiley face declaring, "You have just typed the correct password. Good for you!"  
  
He then continued to disable the cameras and the lasers, even the ones connected to certain doors in the building. Dib slipped out unnoticed, giving himself a pat on the back for a job well done considering he had to play that part by ear.  
  
Now for those four up front…  
  
Dib looked around a bit and decided to take his chances by sneaking around by the bushes. It was an obvious hiding place, so dark and enclosed by the wall, that he found it was more than a bit careless for the guards to ignore that area.  
  
The angry vines poked into his sides but he presumed it was better than attempting to quietly knock out four guards wielding large versions of cattle prods. He winced at those, he was one of the many and frequent victims the shocking and bothersome weapons enjoyed to touch, sending him to the point of collapsing more than once on a daily basis; especially on those days his father forgot who he was and what he might be doing in the Lab.  
  
A few successions of fancy rolls and timed jumps, Dib reached the nearest and equally sharp, pointy bush that stood quite near the foot of one of the four guards. The door was only a few meters away, so close that the stench of lab rats and experimental concoctions sifted through and tortured his sharp senses.  
  
No matter how close he was to the door, the fact that the nearest guard noticed the rustling leaves made him stay still, sweating all the earlier night's soft drink away. The man looked down at the bush and, unknown to his goggled eyes, straight at Dib. He was about to stick his large cattle prod in to check for any unusual creature that may have jumped in but one of the other guards called to him by the gate, urgently waving his hands about.  
  
The young boy allowed himself the luxury of air as soon as he heard the previous guard run to his cohort, inquiring about the sudden summons. He wasted no time running towards the heavy steel doors, opening it and shutting it silently behind him as his heart thumped wildly at the exchange of words between the two guards.  
  
"There's an intruder!"  
  
--  
  
Indeed, the guards didn't wait for the so-called intruder to get far before pursuing him, nor did they waste precious moments realizing that the security system was out. It was a good thing Dib thought of leaving a little present for them to find; a 24 hour virus that would keep the security system from being switched on. Even if they managed to get a programmer into the building to reboot the system, Dib would be into Zim's room and out within the next fifteen minutes; the same amount of time it would take the said programmer to get there, let alone find and delete the slightly harmless bug.  
  
But that also didn't mean that they were helpless enough to just stand around idly as they waited.  
  
Trailing behind Dib were some seven men, all wielding different versions of the large cattle prod that seemed mandatory to security around the building. Many were thrusting it at the poor boy, trying to clip him and shock him into making a mistake that would most likely lead to his arrest. Dib, dodging and running, felt the slight stings of the edges of the cattle prods.  
  
After a close call at one of the corners which left the bottom of his trench coat slightly frizzled and brownish Dib's hand furiously rummaged through one of his trench coat pockets, finally pulling forth a water gun. He stared at it incredulously, wondering when the item appeared in his pocket.  
  
"… I could swear I placed one of dad's small explodey bomb things in my pocket," He stared at the water gun once more, it being the only item in his pocket, "Oh well, beggars can't be choosers."  
  
With a burst of speed he normally used when attempting to out run bullies at school, Dib stopped by a corner. He was far enough from the guards to spin around and face them, yet having only a second to aim and pull the trigger on the unlikely weapon.  
  
It may have been his personal preference for those water guns that you didn't have to pump to keep the pressure running that saved him, or it may have been the stupidity of a guard that set off his cattle prod while being soaked by the natural chemical compound that was H2O. Either reason, Dib's water gun let loose all that it held while the guards electrocuted themselves over and over again with their own large weapons.  
  
The pale boy stopped for a moment to observe the flashing human lights before continuing his mad dash towards the stairs, getting to the seventh floor unheeded.  
  
--  
  
"ZIM!"  
  
The green and red ball, curled up like a creepy, floating human fetus slowly lifted its head in recognition. Large red eyes blinked and stared hard at the boy in front of him, asking himself if he was having one of those "Dream" things Dib spoke of.  
  
But no, the said boy was real alright, real frantic.  
  
'Dib human?'  
  
Dib nodded and shot a paranoid look over his shoulder. He sat by the opened pneumatic doors and, after connecting another wire to the base of it, began typing; within seconds he had the doors shut behind him, a loud "CLICK" indicating that the inner locking mechanism had been set.  
  
"I'm gonna get you outta here Zim,"  
  
The Irken looked at him, a mixture of curiosity and skepticism flickered on his features periodically, 'Why?'  
  
Dib relayed to Zim all he heard from Gaz. By the time he finished with his theories on what might happen to the alien n an autopsy table, Zim was more than eager to leave his cell, more of frightened really.  
  
'How will you get me out of here?' He mouthed. Both froze as the sounds of heavy boots clanked loudly somewhere not far enough outside to make them feel comfortable.  
  
"I'm gonna hack into your security with my new program." Dib explained, keeping his voice low unless he wanted to be heard by the guards outside, "Just be ready to fall when I drain the liquid…"  
  
With a steady nod, Zim watched as the other plugged his lap top into one of the containers lower outlets, typing as viciously, if not more, than when he locked the door. The liquid slowly drained, almost painfully so to the alien and his rescuer but luckily the process was made sound proof by Professor Membrane when it was proved to be a little too loud for his "sensitive ears."  
  
Dazed, Zim blinked for a while as the last drops of the liquid fell off his body and into the metal tubes. It being his first time to be out in Earth's elements in almost seven years, it took a bit of standing still and mental preparation to get his bearings back.  
  
Dib looked up from his lap top as the container opened with a slow hiss. He acknowledged Zim as he cautiously stepped from his seven year prison. The little green man looked around with narrowed eyes for but a moment before he opened his lips and let a long breath out.  
  
"Ah," The alien's voice was a bit of a high scratchy noise that rose before it died down. It may not have been like that in the past but the years of silence may have severed whatever it was Irken's used as vocal chords, "The great sound of Zim's voice is good to hear."  
  
Dib smiled at the sound of the voice he longed to hear, speak to him for the first time in years. It was strange at first but he easily got used to the sound, it was as if he heard it somewhere before… as if that voice was an eerie part of his life that he'd never really forget. In a way it made him uncomfortable but the sense of acuity and certainty that reverberated from it was enough for him to forget his discomfort for a moment.  
  
That feeling of joy immediately dissipated, almost as quickly replaced by dread as he heard the guards approaching in the not-so-far distance. One had even managed to get to the doors only to find it shut tight. They had to get out. Fast.  
  
"Zim, we need to get out of here!" For the first time since the green alien began exercising his many other functions, he looked at the boy who had freed him, blinking owlishly, "We can go through the ventilation that leads to the roof. From there we can go down the stairs to escape!"  
  
"Why don't we just go downstairs to begin with?"  
  
"I don't know." Dib shrugged, "It just seems cooler if we go to the roof first before escaping."  
  
The alien didn't bother arguing, instead, resigning himself to shrugging as the statement seemed to make sense to him anyway. He watched as the big headed boy began scanning the area; he mimicked his companion and searched the room for anything he might've missed… and he was thankful he did so.  
  
On a table, behind the glass container he had just recently been in, there sat a cluster of metal objects and strangely shaped metals with red, blue and green wire protruding from their sides. To a normal person, it would have looked like ordinary junk that gathered like dust in your attic or garage but to Zim, they were thing's he thought he'd never see again… they were pieces of his SIR Unit.  
  
"By The Tallest…" He ran to it and began collecting the pieces, shaky and slightly uncontrolled metal arms emerging from his Pak to gather them into the small Irken life line.  
  
"What are tho—" Zim just felt the questions about to shoot off from the young teen. He quickly silenced him with a look that spoke of guards and refusal of capture.  
  
"We need to get out of here… Dib," He spoke his words slowly yet as quickly as he could under the given circumstances, "And hurry with what plan you have at this moment, I have not seen the whole of this place."  
  
"If only we could get up there!" Dib pointed up ten feet towards the tallest point in the high ceiling room, looking frantic as he turned to face his companion. Surprisingly, the alien merely smirked at him and shoved him aside.  
  
"Move aside human," Out of Zim's pak, metal spider-like legs emerged and boosted him up at least four feet high. The alien took a few moments to compose himself; the long time spent locked up barely dithering his perfect control over his extra limbs, "Come Dib."  
  
All Dib could do was gape as Zim hoisted both of them up and climbed the wall as if it had deep purchases instead of straight and flawless sides. Hoo boy, he certainly knew how to get himself into these things.  
  
--  
  
Redfox: … geez. That took long. Sorry guys but I'll try to get the next one up soon… although these sad, pathetic and horrible excuses are nothing to go by. Just ask the monkey!!!! points in the other direction

... no monkey eh? um... well, ok then. Thanks anyway... looks down at feet


End file.
